John fenton



(No Model.)

J1 PENTON.

TOE WEIGHT.

N0; 244,386. Patented July 1 9.1881.

WITNESSES. NYI/ENTOR;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN FnNtroN, on INDIANAPoLIsiNDIANA.

TOE-WEIGHT.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,386, dated July 19, 1881.

' Application filed May 17, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN FENToN, of the city of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toe-Weights, of which the followingis a specification.

The object of my said invention is to prod uce a toe-weight which shall be adjustably and removably connected to the shoe of the horse wearing it, and this object I accomplish by the means and in the manner hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts,'Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of a horseshoe having a toe-weight constructed and attached in accordance with my invention, as seen when, looking from the point indicated by the dotted lines as 00, Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a cross-sectional view of the weight, as seen from the dotted line to w in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a plan view of the shoe and the means by which the toe-weight is connected thereto, as seen when looking downwardly from the dotted line 3 y, Fig. 1, the connecting angle or knee being shown in section at that point; Fig. 4, a front elevation of the shoe and weight, and Fig. 5 a rear elevation of the same.

In said drawings the portions markedArepresent the horseshoe; B, an angle or kneeshaped iron, by which the shoe and weight are connected; G, the toe-weight proper, andD a piece of leather or other flexible or compressible material which is interposed between said toe-weight and knee.

The shoe A is formed substantially like ordinary horseshoes, exceptthat thereis a groove of dovetailed form in its top side at the front end, by means of which the attachment of the knee carrying the Weight and the shoe is effected without bolting or welding.

The knee B is formed at an angle corresponding to the usual angle formed by the bottom and front of a horses hoof. A slit, preferably extending into the upper part, also divides the base into two portions, 1) b. A portion of this slit is formed into ataperin g screwway, into which a screw, B, or its equivalent, is inserted, which screw, when driven inwardly, forces the two portions apart, crowding them closely into their respective sides of the dovetailed groove a, and thereby secures the knee and shoeffirmly together. Small projections b on the ends of the portions 11, engage with the inside of the horseshoe and prevent the knee from being possibly withdrawn so long as said portions remain in the position into which they are forced by the screw. The knee has also a stud-bo]t, 1), upon its upper portion, by which the weight 0 is secured thereto.

The weight (J is of the ordinary or any approved form. Ahole is formedthrough its center, through which the bolt 1) on the knee 13 passes. This hole is preferably enlarged for a portion of its length, forming a socket to receive the nut c on the bolt 12, as it is desirable that said nut should project but little if any beyond the face of the weight. A groove is provided in the under side of the weight to receive the upper portion of the knee B, so that the weight may fit closely to the hoof of the horse, and a second groove, 0, in crosswise relation to the first.

The leather portion D is either placed in the bottom of the groove first mentioned in the above sentence, underneath and in lengthwise relation with the knee B, or in the second groove, 0, in crosswise relation to said knee.

It is usual to put it in the first-named position when the angle of the knee corresponds to that of the horses hoof, and in the last named when it does not so correspond, and it is therefore necessary to vary it. The function of this piece of leather is, therefore primarily, to secure a perfect adjustment of the weight, and, secondarily, it serves to prevent any looseness or rattling of the parts. A thick or a thin piece of leather is used, as the formation of the hoof of the horse wearing the weight may require.

The general form of the whole toe-weight, when secured properly in place at the side which comes near to or in contact with the hoof, is such that it will be in substantially the same relation thereto over its whole surface.

As will be readilyseen, the weight may be adjusted by means of the bolt 6 and nut c, or the weight proper may be removed by displacing said nut. The whole weight, including the knee, may be removed by withdrawing the screw B from. its place and withdrawing the knee from the dovetailed groove,which may be easily done when it is not held in place by the screw. N0 welding of any part to the shoe, and little or no cutting away of the horses hoof is necessary or desirable in using this invention.

As an alternate construction, or in addition to the projections b the dovetailed groove a may be made wider at the rear end than at the front, and thus cause the portions 1) b to assume the form of the thick end of a wedge when forced apart by the screw B. I regard this, however, -as the equivalent of the form shown and fully comprehended in myinvention; but I do not regard a connection formed of a solid tang and dovetailed groove as the equivalent of my construction, as it is open to the very objection which I have labored to avoid-via, that the shoe has to be removed from the foot before the tang or base of the knee can be removed from the groove in the shoe.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I-claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An attachment for connecting a toe weight and a horseshoe consisting of a knee, B, split or divided centrally at its base or lower end, which split shall consist, in part, of a tapering screwway and a screw, which is adapted to force the two portions of the split knee apart, said shoe being provided with a groove to receive and hold the split end of the 19188, substantiallyas and for the purposes set orth.

2. Ahorseshoe having a dovetailed groove, in combination with aknee having a split end fitted to enter said groove, said groove and said end being formed, substantially as described, so that the knee cannot be withdrawn when the portions of the said split end are forced apart, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the shoe A, having groove a, the knee B, split for a part of its length into two portions, and having projections 1) b on the corners, a screw, B,adapted to spread the two portions of the knee apart, and the weight 0, attached to the upper end of the knee, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination of the shoe A, split knee B, screw B, weight 0, stud-bolt b, and leather or other similar strip, D, all arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 12th day of May, A. D. 1881.

JOHN FENTON. In presence of ALFRED FENToN, G. BRADFORD. 

